Priorities

     Today's reflection comes after two funerals and is a result of perusing the United States Catholic Bishops' website - www.usccb.org/priorities.  The Bishops' Conference lists as five priorities in 2011 the following:

               1) Strengthening Marriage
               2) Faith Formation focused on sacramental practice
               3) Priestly and religious vocations
               4) Life and dignity of the human person
               5) Recognition of cultural diversity

     The setting of goals and objectives is important to give direction to the journey that we are on.  While I am not one to seek help with directions, I have found value in map quest.  At least I know what to look for as I'm seeking my destination.  And not only directions, but I've been known to check out the aerial photo of the route so that I can recognize landmarks and buildings along the way.

     The bishops have laid out this set of directions (goals) and placed before us some landmarks to look for (objectives) so that we not get lost.  They have done so in five areas of deep concern for the Church, concern rooted in a lessening of the strengths that we once knew.  Married life as traditionally defined by society and the Church is under considerable attack.  Our understanding of the Faith is weak at best, and our appreciation of the sacramental life of the Church strengthening the command to "know God" is dwindling.  The response to the call of God to priesthood and religious life has diminished so much that it leaves us not only "shorthanded" in staffing but weak in passing on the Faith ... for when one vocation is ignored, it becomes too easy to ignore the other vocations of life.  The life and dignity of the human person is constantly undermined - whether it is abortion or euthanasia, health care or respect for the elderly, unemployment or the right to organize, or any of the other myriad of issues.  And finally (not really) the cultural diversity challenging us today (not from Europe or Eastern Europe, but from a multitude of other places and cultures) [well over half of the Catholic population in the U.S. is Hispanic] and the immigration questions leave us confused and insecure.

     Check out the goals and objectives listed by the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops), and periodically check on the issues and positions that they take on important issues to our society and our Faith.